Systems and methods for controlling aircraft electrical power are disclosed. A system in accordance with one embodiment includes an electric motor, an aircraft load coupled to the electric motor and powered by the electric motor, and a motor controller coupled to the electric motor to vary an output of the electric motor. The motor controller is changeable among a fixed number of preset controller modes, with individual controller modes corresponding to an operation mode of the aircraft and a non-zero output level of the electric motor. In further embodiments, motor controllers can be substituted for each other, e.g., in the event one motor controller becomes unoperational.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An aircraft power system, comprising: a first electric motor; an aircraft load coupled to the first electric motor and powered by the first electric motor, the load including a hydraulic fluid pump; a high lift device coupled to the hydraulic fluid pump; a first motor controller coupled to the first electric motor to vary an output of the first electric motor, the first motor controller being changeable among a fixed number of preset controller modes, with a first controller mode corresponding to a first operation mode of the aircraft and a first non-zero output level of the first electric motor, and a second controller mode corresponding to a second operation mode of the aircraft and a second non-zero output level of the first electric motor, the second operation mode being different than the first operation mode, the second non-zero output level being different than the first non-zero output level, the first motor controller being operatively coupled to the high lift device to change the controller mode based at least in part on a change in position of the high lift device; a second electric motor; a second motor controller coupled to the second electric motor to direct operation of the second electric motor; and a switching device coupled between the first and second motor controllers to decouple the first motor controller from the first motor, decouple the second motor controller from the second motor, and couple the second motor controller to the first motor in place of the first motor controller.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an engine throttle, and wherein the first motor controller is operatively coupled to the engine throttle to change the controller mode based at least in part on a change in a setting of the engine throttle.
3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a weight-on-wheels indicator, and wherein the first motor controller is operatively coupled to the weight-on-wheels indicator to change the controller mode based at least in part on an indication from the weight-on-wheels indicator.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the output of the first electric motor includes a speed of the first electric motor.
5. The system of claim 4 wherein individual preset controller modes correspond to different frequencies with which electrical power is provided to the first electric motor.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the first motor controller is changeable among five controller modes, and wherein the first controller mode corresponds to ground operations, the second controller mode corresponds cruise operations, a third controller mode corresponds to takeoff and decent operations, a fourth controller mode corresponds to a thrust reverser operations, and a fifth controller mode corresponds to automatic flap gapping operations.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first motor controller is coupled to a signal input device that provides input signals corresponding to the operation modes of the aircraft, and wherein the first motor controller automatically changes from one controller mode to another based at least in part of the input signals.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a computer readable medium having instructions for directing the output of the first electric motor.
9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a fuselage; a wing; and a propulsion system, wherein the first electric motor, the aircraft load and the first motor controller are carried by at least one of the wing and the fuselage, and wherein the first electric motor is coupled to the propulsion system to receive power from the propulsion system.
10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a fuselage; a wing; and a propulsion system; and wherein the first electric motor, the aircraft load and the first motor controller are carried by at least one of the wing and the fuselage; the hydraulic pump is coupled to hydraulic actuators carried by at the least one of the wing and the fuselage; the first electric motor is coupled to the propulsion system; and the first motor controller is changeable among five controller modes including the first controller mode which corresponds to ground operations, the second controller mode which corresponds to cruise operations, a third controller mode corresponding to takeoff and decent operations, a fourth controller mode corresponding to thrust reverser operations, and a fifth mode corresponding to automatic flap gapping operations.
11. The system of claim 1 wherein the switching device includes a computer-readable medium having instructions for automatically switching the first and second motor controllers.
12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an aircraft environmental control system compressor powered by the second electric motor.
13. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second motors have at least approximately the same output power.
14. The system of claim 1 wherein the second motor has a higher output power capability than the first motor.
15. An aircraft power system, comprising: a first electric motor; an aircraft load coupled to the first electric motor and powered by the first electric motor, the load including a hydraulic pump; a first motor controller coupled to the electric motor to vary an output of the first electric motor, the first motor controller being changeable among a fixed number of preset controller modes, with individual controller modes corresponding to an operation mode of the aircraft and a non-zero output level of the first electric motor; a weight-on-wheels indicator, wherein the first motor controller is operatively coupled to the weight-on-wheels indicator to change the controller mode based at least in part on an indication from the weight-on-wheels indicator; a second electric motor; a second motor controller coupled to the second electric motor to direct operation of the second electric motor; and a switching device coupled between the first and second motor controllers to decouple the first motor controller from the first motor, decouple the second motor controller from the second motor, and couple the second motor controller to the first motor in place of the first motor controller.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the output of the first electric motor includes a speed of the electric motor.
17. The system of claim 16 wherein individual preset controller modes correspond to a different frequencies with which electrical power is provided to the first electric motor.
18. The system of claim 15 wherein the first motor controller is changeable among five controller modes, and wherein the first controller mode corresponds to ground operations, the second controller mode corresponds cruise operations, a third controller mode corresponds to takeoff and decent operations, a fourth controller mode corresponds to a thrust reverser operations, and a fifth controller mode corresponds to automatic flap gapping operations.
19. The system of claim 15 wherein the first motor controller is coupled to a signal input device that provides input signals corresponding to the operation modes of the aircraft, and wherein the first motor controller automatically changes from one controller mode to another based at least in part of the input signals.
20. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a computer readable medium having instructions for directing the output of the first electric motor.
21. The system of claim 15 , further comprising: a fuselage; a wing; and a propulsion system, wherein the first electric motor, the aircraft load and the first motor controller are carried by at least one of the wing and the fuselage, and wherein the first electric motor is coupled to the propulsion system to receive power from the propulsion system.
22. The system of claim 15 , further comprising: a fuselage; a wing; and a propulsion system; and wherein the first electric motor, the aircraft load and the first motor controller are carried by at least one of the wing and the fuselage; the hydraulic pump is coupled to hydraulic actuators carried by at the least one of the wing and the fuselage; the first electric motor is coupled to the propulsion system; and the first motor controller is changeable among five controller modes including the first controller mode which corresponds to ground operations, the second controller mode which corresponds to cruise operations, a third controller mode corresponding to takeoff and decent operations, a fourth controller mode corresponding to thrust reverser operations, and a fifth mode corresponding to automatic flap gapping operations.
23. The system of claim 15 wherein the switching device includes a computer-readable medium having instructions for automatically switching the first and second motor controllers.
24. The system of claim 15 , further comprising an aircraft environmental control system compressor powered by the electric motor.
25. The system of claim 15 wherein the first and second motors have at least approximately the same output power.
26. The system of claim 15 wherein the second motor has a higher output power capability than the first motor.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
September 7, 2006
April 10, 2012
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